NJ Tries to Combat Spike in Carjackings

New Jersey authorities are trying to combat a rise in carjackings.A campaign announced Monday puts the faces of convicted carjackers on billboards.

It also reminds people that carjacking can be tried as a federal crime with no chance at parole.

Essex County is New Jersey's epicenter of carjacking. It includes Newark, the state's largest city.

The county is on pace to have more than 400 carjackings this year, up from just over 200 in 2009.

Authorities say technology that is supposed to make cars harder to steal, such as pushbutton ignitions, might make criminals more likely to commit carjackings. The new cars are very difficult to start without a key and must be on in order to be stolen.

Carjacking Campaign (The United States Attorneys Office - District of New Jersey)